Only the Beginning
by Jay Lewis
Summary: (OC) Pinfeathers leads the other Nocs along with the Mistress, Lilith, in search of one girl who could possibly change the whole story. When she is sent by Lilith to capture the heart of Varen Nethers, the young girl, Raven, soon finds herself trapped inside her own love directed toward someone besides Varen.
1. In Search of Her

A cold wind drew a long, chilling design atop the exterior of Pinfeathers's body as he paced the perimeter of the woodlands.

"Pin, she's just a little girl." Scrimshaw blurted put in the midst of his fellow Noc's pacing and intrigued thinking.

"She is not just a girl, Scrimshaw, _she_ could be like us. _She _could be the reason the us Nocs were made this way- so fragile and delicate. The dreamworld was created by the boy, so why not investigate deeper into our existence. On the very colossal planet called Earth, I would like to believe that at least two people share the same dreams, same nightmares, same realities. That little girl saw me, and she recognized me as Pinfeathers the Noc." With his hands clamped together, Pinfeathers continued to pace the woodlands and discover a way to find the little girl.


	2. The Raven and the Cheerleader

The clawing sensation was enough to kill Raven right there as the unthinkable creatures of evil dragged her toward their mistress.

"Help me!" She shouted, the words rough and hoarse against her throat. The one most recognizable creature, a Noc named Pinfeathers, smiled evilly down at her.

"Hello again, Raven. It's been so long since I've seen you. Don't worry, now, we're not trying to get you hurt. We just want to speak with you." Pinfeathers's mischievous grin pierced through Raven, leaving her temporarily mesmerized by it. She stared at the beautiful shade of his feather-like hair and the intimidating length of his talons. Soon, she oddly began wondering if Nocs were born/created with fingernails that long, or if they had to grow them out.

The mistress soon appeared in the center of the woodlands where Raven endured her first encounter with the evil of the Nocs.

"Oh, how delightful." Lilith pronounced, her silky voice smooth enough to lull a toddler to sleep. Or lull Raven to sleep. "Her looks resemble the darkness inside my one self. Welcome, Raven. I would love to inform you that you are not here to be hurt by any means. But we did summon you here to help us."

"What do you need? What do you want from me? Where is the boy I always saw you torture? Where's Va-" Raven started, just remember the meaning of the name Varen Nethers.

"Varen is in a different place at the moment, Raven, but he is none of your concern. What we wish for you to do is to find Isobel Lanely. I want that girl dead before she can alienate Varen any longer. And I expect you, Raven, to be the one to kill her." Lilith explained and Raven gulped down a gasp before letting it escape her lips.

"I can't. Varen cares about Isobe! I would never do that to him!" Raven objected and a course of sneers arose from her captors.

"Raven, do you know Varen at all?" Lilith asked and Raven shook her head hesitantly.

"But I would never dream of doing such a thing to him! No matter what you do." Raven crossed her arms over her chest for warmth.

"I wanted to avoid these measures, Raven, but you left me no choice. Scrimshaw bring me our dear friend please." The blue-toothed Noc obediently stalked away and returned seconds later with a familiar friend to Raven.

"Reynolds!" She shouted, running up to her advisor in the dreamworld- her friend. She wrapped her arms around him to hear him gasp and feel him wince. "What did they do to you?" Raven whispered sadly.

"Just think, Raven, much worse will happen to this dear friend if you do not kill the girl. I will not be one to mourn over either of their deaths, so it's fine for me to kill either or both." Lilith said.

"Okay, I'll do it! Just leave Reynolds alone!" Raven pleaded and Lilith laughed, floating Raven's way.

"I'll give you two days to find and kill Isobel Lanely." Lilith whispered before dissolving right in front of Raven.

"Better get searching, Raven." Pinfeathers said, extending one small raven's wing where his arm used to be. "Pinfeathers is watching." He added, floating in a cloud of violet mist, flying as a raven to the top branch of a tree.

Raven's heart fluttered in her chest like the the very wings of the bird she ha been named after as the thought creeped and settled inside her mind. How could someone so harmless, so innocent, be wished dead by anyone? Raven couldn't ng herself to think, let alone suceed in, killing Isobel. It was completely barbaric. As Pinfeathers proceeded in watching Raven, she set out on her gaunt journey.

* * *

"Varen?" Isobel whisperer through the impenetrable silence surrounding the couple. "Varen, can you hear me?"

The dark figure came moving slowly into Isobel's focus seconds after her call and, with his face grim, he opened his mouth to speak. "She is coming for you." He whispered inaudibly abd horridly.

Isobel felt her heart sink at the returned mention of Lilith, her torturer and Varen's kidnapper. She held him hostage for si long, leaving him to wait for Isobel to return.

"Var-" Isobel started, soon being cut off by Varen's hoarse order.

"You have to get out of here, Isobel. I can't let them get you like they almost got me. I'd never live with myself, putting you through so much because of me. You have to wake up, Isobel. Please." Varen begged, his voice cracking near the end of his request.

"I can't leave you here, Varen." Isobel argued. "Not with Lilith around."

"Don't say her name!" Varen begged, pacing in front of Isobel.

A sharp cry rang through the woodlands, echoing and reverberating from where Varen and Isobel stood arguing. Isobel, overpowered by fear and worry, was the first to follow the earsplitting yell. She cut through trees and various shrubberies until running right into who she'd least expect.

"She's over there." Reynolds said grimly, pointing to where a young girl lay unconscious.

A blurry figure hunched over the adolescent girl, leaning just next to her ear and whispering various nothings to her. Isobel looker for a long enough time to recognize the feather-like red hair protruding from the back of a porcelain white head. Pinfeathers.

"She, who's name defines the majestic bird of the Raven, who's hair resembles the darkness of an everlasting eternal hole, who's very existence stuns us all. She, dear Raven, who has been given the task of great honor. Dear Raven-"

"Let her go." Varen interrupted, and Pinfeathers's head snapped up, giving Isobel a perfect view of Raven.

Her vast blue eyes pleaded for help as they scanned Isobel's. Her curling black hair was strewn in different directions away from her head. She shook violently as she struggled to intake air. Isobel noticed the differen red talons gripping around Raven's neck. Choking her.

"Hello yet again, cheerleader." Pinfeathers sneered as he let go of the girl's neck. She let out a pained sob and Varen ran to help her and Pinfeathers went up to to Isobel.


End file.
